


Playing With Fox Fire

by MoonlitMusings



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: M/M, Monster!peter, but there is violence, genre swap with second citadel, knight!juno, no dirty stuff... yet, peter is a fox spirit, the other characters are only mentioned so far, the rating is somewhat preemptive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-01-25 19:28:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12539460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlitMusings/pseuds/MoonlitMusings
Summary: Juno's fought more than his fair share of monsters over the years, but he's never encountered one quite like this.





	1. A Change of Plans

**Author's Note:**

> I got talking to type_here about Mikaela Buckley's gorgeous halloween art last night, and this just kind of happened.

It was early when Sir Juno set out. The area of forest he was headed to was a ways away, and he hoped to get at least halfway there before the day was out. The situation was proving dire, after all. Six knights had already been killed in the area, found at the edge of the monster’s territory, either with their throats slit, or maimed almost beyond recognition. Several more had been wounded, only making it back with much difficulty, and the help of kind strangers. And all of them had important supplies missing. Stolen by the beast, often before it attacked, as though it was toying with them. And who knew how many innocent civilians had been killed?

That’s why he was the one going after it, now. No one else had wanted to. Well, Sir Alessandra might have, but she was busy hunting another monster, so it was down to him. He did that a lot, going after monsters no one else wanted to. He was good at it, too. One of the best, matched only by Sir Alessandra. Sure, he could be a little reckless sometimes, but he got _results_. And that’s what mattered, wasn’t it? King Ramses seemed to think so, even if his fellow knights were... less than enthusiastic about his methods.

The journey ended up not taking quite as long as he expected. He found the boulder he’d been told marked the edge of the monster’s territory by evening of the second day. It was already getting dark, he probably should have set up camp at least an hour before, but better late than never, right? And as long as he stayed a ways away from the edge of the territory itself, he figured he’d be fine. He moved a few yards back the way he came, and started pitching his tent and getting a fire going, keeping an eye out all the while.

It was a quiet night, all things considered. There was your standard rustling, and animal noises. Birds chirping, bats screeching, frogs croaking, squirrels chittering, insects buzzing, the usual. The only things that seemed odd happened while he ate, before he went to bed. As it got darker, he thought he saw something through the trees: a blue glow, shivering like a flame. It appeared and disappeared around him, never in one spot for long. He considered going towards it at one point, but he had heard enough stories of strange lights leading people into the woods, never to be seen again. He could be reckless, but he wasn’t stupid. It was probably just a strange kind of bug or something. And if it was important, it could wait until he could actually see properly.

The other odd occurrence was the appearance of a very brave fox. He drew his knife when he saw a small figure skulking at the edge of the shadows, but relaxed a little when he saw what it was. He was surprised when it creeped closer, half into the light, making a small yipping noise. It sniffed, looking at him intently. He looked down at the dried meat he was eating, and back at the creature.

“You hungry, little guy?” he asked. The fox snuffled again. Juno thought for a minute, before tearing off a piece. “I don’t have a lot to spare,” he said, “but I guess if you’re desperate enough to come this close, you deserve a little something.” He tossed the piece to the fox, who caught it handily. It ate quickly, making a happy chirping click at him, and a taking another step forward.

“Don’t get greedy,” Juno warned. The fox whined, and Juno sighed. “Alright, alright, one more piece. But that’s it!” He tossed another piece, and he almost swore the fox nodded at him before running off with it. “Brave little guy,” Juno muttered to himself as he watched it disappear once more into the shadows. It almost looked like it had more than one tail as it ran away, but he quickly wrote it off as a trick of the light.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Juno woke with the sun the next morning, and gathered up his gear quickly. If he was lucky, he could find the monster within a couple hours, kill it, and be on his way back home before the day was out. He stepped carefully past the boulder, unsure if anything would be waiting for him, but all remained quiet. He wandered through the trees for hours, noting the climb of the sun through the sky. He didn’t rest until noon. He felt the strong urge to keep moving. Not only in hopes of finding the creature faster, but because, well, it felt like something was watching him. He swore he could feel eyes on him. Could hear the occasional rustle of leaves, or crunch of a twig being stepped on. But every time he turned toward the noise, there was nothing there. Eventually, his hunger got the better of him. He pulled some food out of his pack, and sat with his back against a tree, keeping a sharp lookout all around him as he ate. He was most of the way through his ration for the afternoon, when he distinctly heard something on the other side of the tree. He quietly pulled his knife out of its belt, and moved into a crouch, leaning to peer around the tree. Nothing there. But he swore he heard...

“Hello.” Juno jumped to his feet at the voice, turning sharply toward its source. In front of him was a man, dressed in robes of deep orange and reddish brown, a pair of spectacles perched on his nose, attached to a chain. But... no. Not a man. He had... animal ears? And tails, several of them, visible behind him where they swished slightly. And very sharp teeth, shown by his... smile. The monster was _grinning_ at him. He raised his knife.

“You.”

“Me?”

“You’re the monster who’s been killing knights in this area, aren’t you.” It wasn’t the kind of monster he was expecting. He’d anticipated something bigger. Something more, well, monstrous looking. Although, he knew from experience that monsters didn’t have to _look_ dangerous to _be_ dangerous. Then again, the more he looked at him, the more dangerous he seemed. Sure his face looked like that of an... admittedly attractive man, but the teeth behind that grin were _very_ sharp, and the look in his eyes said he was happy to see him, and he would be just as happy to kill him, if push came to shove.

“I might be. There are several monsters in this area.”

“Don’t try to play coy with me,” Juno snapped back.

“Me? Coy? Never,” the creature replied, taking a couple fluid steps forward, causing Juno to press back against the tree behind him. His grin widened, and Juno found himself swallowing at the sight. His knife was still tight in his hand, but he was hesitating. Why was he hesitating? The creature didn’t look physically overpowering. No, the only overpowering things about the monster, now even closer, crowding him against the tree, were his arrestingly bright eyes, deep, musical voice, dangerously charming smile, and the strange, enchanting smell surrounding him. Wait. Charming? Enchanting? What was he thinking? He had to stay sharp. Stay wary. He couldn’t let himself fall into the trap the monster was clearly trying to lure him into. Juno tightened his grip on the knife, his knuckles going white.

“Get back,” he said, trying to sound threatening.

“Why would I do that?” the monster asked, his head tilting in playful curiosity. He took a step closer, and Juno’s breath hitched as arms braced against the tree on either side of him, and he felt a leg slide between his own. He could hardly believe it. The creature was actually trying to _seduce_ him. He had to stop this. He’d come here for a reason, and he had the perfect opportunity right in front of him. He needed to kill the beast and get it over with. He just had to lift the knife. He could do that. And he _would_ do that. Any second. He would. A warm, soft, clawed hand slid down his arm and wrapped around the hand holding his knife. "Are you planning to kill me, little knight?" Juno swallowed again.

"I am. You killed those other knights, after all. Injured even more of them."

"I admit I killed some of them, yes. Though as I said, I’m not the only monster in this area. And I never killed unprovoked. They always attacked first."

"You stole from them."

"Again, true. Pickpocketed, though. Never attacked. I only took what I needed, and only fought out of self defense. I even tried to keep their deaths quick and clean. You can't truly fault me for that, can you? I’m only trying to survive." Juno knew it was probably a lie. But... he wanted to believe it. And it made a certain amount of sense. Some of the knights had died much more gruesomely than others, after all. Wouldn’t it be reasonable to wait until he was sure? Look into things a bit more before killing this... shit, he didn't even know what the monster was. Only that he had an air of challenge around him. “Try to fault me,” his expression said. “Try to kill me.”

"What- what are you?" Juno finally managed to ask.

"A fox spirit," he replied easily. "Kitsune, some call us. Kumiho to others. We have many names. We’re also known as trickster spirits, though I think that moniker is a bit unfair.”

“A... fox spirit. You weren’t...”

“I was. You were very kind, to offer me food like that.”

“If I had known what you were, I wouldn’t have,” Juno bit back. “Just... let go of me,” he continued, trying to pull his hand, still holding the knife, out of the kitsune’s clawed grasp.

“Ah ah, little knight,” he said, his grip tightening. “Be careful. You’re playing with fire.” Suddenly, Juno felt a flash of heat near his face. He glanced up just long enough to see a trail of blue flame, originating from the creature’s claw, and scorching the bark near Juno’s head. He recognized that color.

“You were watching me, last night,” he said.

“I was. I have to keep a sharp lookout after all. All these knights wandering into my territory.”

“Why... why didn’t you attack me?” The kitsune shrugged, causing his sleeves to brush against Juno, and a rush of that intoxicating scent to hit him.

“You posed no threat to me, at the time. You were outside my territory, and you weren’t actively looking for me. I told you, little knight. I only attack out of self defense. I didn’t lie to you. I have no reason to."

“You do, though. If you did attack those knights first, you know I wouldn’t hesitate to kill you."

"No?” the kitsune asked, leaning in slightly. He shrugged again “I suppose you'll just have to take me at my word, then." Juno took a deep breath.

"I should kill you."

"According to the laws of your citadel, perhaps. And you humans are so fond of your laws, and following orders. The question is, do _you_ think you should kill me, little knight? Do you want to?"

"I- I can't go back empty-handed," Juno replied, avoiding the question. The kitsune laughed, a low chuckle that did not help with Juno's internal conflict.

"That's not what I asked. Though if it would mean you sparing my life, I can point you towards a monster that _does_ hunt down knights that wander out this far and kills them for sport. Nasty business."

"I... uh..." Juno knew it was probably a trap. Knew if he agreed he'd most likely be kicking himself for it later. But what if it wasn’t? What if there really was another monster behind the more vicious killings? If nothing else, he could pretend to trust this monster, let him point the way to the other beast, and kill him if it turned out to be a lie. He took a breath. Strengthened his resolve. This was such a bad idea. "Show me the way."


	2. Teamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some banter, a battle, and a knight who Really wants to get this all over with. All that and more, here in chapter two!

Juno walked behind the creature as it lead him through the trees, keeping an eye on him, and careful track of where they were going. He wasn’t about to let this monster get him lost. He was content to walk in relative silence, but apparently, the monster was not.

“What is your name?” he asked out of the blue, after they’d been walking for a few minutes.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I just thought you might prefer me calling you by your name rather than “little knight”, though I’m perfectly content to continue to do so.” He cast a smirk over his shoulder, and Juno realized for the first time how much like a pet name the moniker sounded. His frown deepened.

“Sir Juno,” he replied after a moment. “Sir Juno Steel.” The monster hummed.

“Juno,” the monster said slowly, with a tone that made goosebumps start to rise on Juno’s arms. “What a pretty name. Appropriate, I think, for such a comely knight.” Juno felt his face start to heat in a blush, but said nothing. A few minutes passed before the fox spoke again. “Are you not going to ask mine? It’s only polite.”

“No,” Juno grumbled. “I’m still not convinced you’re not lying. I don’t see why I should be polite to you, seeing as I’m still not sure I’m not gonna kill you.”

“That’s no reason to not learn my name. Unless it would make you feel guiltier about killing me.” He threw an annoyingly knowing look back at Juno.

“That’s ridiculous. I just don’t care.”

“If you don’t care, then there’s no reason not to learn it,” he argued. “It’s Peter.”

“Are we almost there?” Juno snapped. “How far away is this supposed other monster, anyways?” The beast, _Peter,_ apparently, chuckled at the pointed change in topic. Juno clenched his jaw at the sound.

“A bit further. He can’t very well live in my territory, can he? You just need to have patience.”

“Yeah, well, that’s kinda difficult when it keeps being tested. Especially since I don’t have much for you to begin with.”

“Whyever not?”

“You know exactly why,” Juno growled. “Now would you just shut up until we get there?” The monster actually had the audacity to _sigh._ Juno could practically hear the accompanying eye roll.

“Oh, fine. If you’re determined to be that way.” Juno thought the silence was preferable for about ten seconds, until he realized it left him alone with several thoughts he had been avoiding. First on his mind, the monster’s name. _Peter._ It was so... normal. He knew humans named Peter. Why did a _monster_ have a name like that? It just made it that much harder to keep himself thinking of him as a monster. He’d never seen one that looked so much like a human, before. Much less such an attractive human. And Juno had to admit to himself at least that he _was_ attractive. That long, lithe body, those sparkling eyes, that charming smile, even that voice. He consoled himself with the thought that he probably used that to lure people in. That only worked for as long as Juno didn’t consider the fact that if that was true, he was falling for it. He held back a frustrated groan, running a hand through his hair. This walk was taking far too long.

\--------------------------------

It was around fifteen more minutes of walking before a clawed hand reached out, gesturing for Juno to pause.

“We’re here,” he said quietly.

“How can you tell?”

“Scent. I wouldn’t expect you to be able to pick it up. You poor humans have such a poor sense of smell.”

“Hey!”

“Shh! I would advise you to keep quiet, unless you want us to lose any chance of keeping the element of surprise.” Peter started moving forward, and Juno was struck by how quiet he was. He hadn’t exactly been making a lot of noise on the walk over, but now he was silent, clawed feet barely disturbing a thing on the ground as he went. Juno took a couple slow steps, following, but his footsteps were painfully loud compared to Peter’s, and he wasn’t the only one who noticed. Peter paused, his ears twitching at the noise. He turned to look at Juno with an appraising frown.

“Hm, this may not work the way I had initially planned. I forgot how heavy-footed you humans tend to be.”

“Hey, I’m doing my best-”

“Please try to keep your voice down. And yes, that’s the problem. No, this won’t do at all. New plan: you walk that way,” Peter pointed into the trees, “and I’ll follow along quietly a short distance away. When you’re inevitably found, which shouldn’t take too terribly long, I’ll sneak up behind him and catch him off-guard.”

“No.”

“What?”

“Sorry, hell no. I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Peter sighed.

“Are we still doing this?”

“If by “this” you mean “am I still suspicious of you and wouldn’t trust you as far as I could throw you,” then yes.”

“Juno, if I was planning on killing you, don’t you think I would have done it before when I snuck up on you? What possible motive could I have for taking you to an entirely different part of the forest, only to trick you into letting me sneak up on you again?” Juno scowled.

“Well of course it sounds dumb when you say it like _that.”_

“Juno, listen to me, we have a much better chance of surviving this if one of us can get the drop on him. And frankly, that’s not going to be you. I promise you, I will not hurt you, or abandon you to deal with him on your own.” Juno looked Peter in the eyes. Hazel, he noted absently. Brown flecked with gold and green that shifted in the light, with pupils like those of a cat. The look on his face was terribly earnest, but he _was_ a monster. And with the monsters that had been appearing recently, devious beasts with magic that twisted your mind, no. He couldn’t. He shouldn’t.

“I...” suddenly, there was a loud cracking noise, like a thick branch breaking. Their heads snapped up, and Peter’s eyes went wide. “What was that?!” Juno demanded.

 _“That,_ Juno, was our surprise advantage disappearing. Follow me. Quickly.”

“But-”

 _“Now!”_ Peter’s tone left no room for argument. Juno followed. They ran, and Juno quickly started falling behind Peter, the monster’s speed and grace proving more than Juno could keep up with. Peter looked over his shoulder, pausing when he saw how far behind Juno had fallen. He looked around frantically while Juno caught up, the crashing behind them growing louder. He put a hand on Juno’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Juno, I’m going to run, but I promise I’m not abandoning you. If you keep the bugbear distracted, I might still be able to sneak up on him. It’s our best shot.” With that, Peter darted away. Juno stood frozen for a moment before he finished processing exactly what Peter had said.

“Wait, did you say _bugbear?!”_ he called. As if on cue, a roar sounded behind him. He whirled around, drawing his sword. With how dense the trees were here, he knew his bow wouldn’t be as effective.

“Where are you, little fox?” a deep, growling voice snarled. “I can smell you. I told you to stay out of my territory.” With one more loud crash, a looming figure burst through the trees. It looked almost like a bear, but it was... _wrong,_ somehow. It had to be at least 12 feet tall, with dark brown fur, and legs that were shaped more like a human’s than a bear’s. Its arms also hung more naturally at its sides than that of a normal bear, and its face was shaped weirdly. Its snout wasn’t as long, and its eyes were too sharp, too keen. It spotted Juno, and bared its teeth in a vicious smile. “Well, well, I thought I smelled a human too. I’m glad I was right. I could use a snack. And you knights always put up such a fun fight.” Juno held up his sword, standing his ground.

“Stay back!” he ordered. The bugbear took another step forward.

“Why should I? You pose no threat to me. I’ve killed plenty of you pesky little things before, with barely a scratch. And many of them were larger than you.”

“Yeah, well, none of them fought like I do,” Juno replied, shifting his stance. “Still, I’m glad you’re underestimating me. It’ll make it that much more satisfying when I drive my sword through you.” The bugbear let out a growling, barking, rasping noise that Juno took as a laugh, and came closer still.

“I could say the same thing. The more confident you are in your victory, the sweeter it will be when I rend the flesh from your bones.” The monster came closer. Juno tightened his grip on his sword. “I hope for that fox’s sake he brought you here as an offering. Otherwise, he’s next.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” a voice said from above them. They looked up at once, and Peter jumped down from the tree onto the bugbear’s shoulders, a knife in his hand. The bugbear roared, swatting at him, and Peter had to pull his arm away from where he was about to dig his knife into the bugbear’s neck. “Juno, now!” he shouted. Juno snapped out of his shock and lunged forward, slashing at the bugbear’s exposed belly. It roared again as he made contact, blood pouring onto its fur. It threw Peter off, turning back to Juno and lunging. Juno dodged, but not fast enough. Two claws caught his arm, leaving three long, but thankfully not terribly deep, cuts across it. Before Juno had the chance to take advantage of the bugbear’s stumble, Peter was there, digging his knife into its shoulder. It turned to swat at him again, giving Juno an opening. He swung, his sword cutting deep into the bugbear’s side. This caught its attention again, and its focus shifted back to Juno, which was its fatal mistake. As soon as it turned, Peter carved his knife into its throat. The bugbear stopped, letting out a wet, garbled grunt, and stumbled a couple steps before falling backwards, Peter jumping off just in time to avoid being crushed.

They stood there for a minute, catching their breath before looking at each other.

“Well,” Peter finally said. “That was invigorating.”

“That’s one word for it,” Juno muttered back, sheathing his sword and stepping forward, drawing his knife. He’d never really liked this part. Collecting heads as trophies always struck him wrong, and he wasn’t a huge fan of blood. Still, needs must. He knelt down, and was suddenly grateful that Peter's knife had driven so deep into the bugbear’s neck. It would mean that much less sawing on his part. Peter watched silently as he worked, cutting through fur and flesh and bone until he was left holding the head. He turned back to Peter, and found himself somewhat unnerved by how impassive he looked. Though he supposed he should expect no different from a monster. He wiped his knife off against the grass before sheathing it, and stood.

“Well, looks like you were telling the truth after all.”

“I told you I was.”

“Yeah, well, forgive me for not taking a monster at his word. Especially one who already admitted to theft and murder.”

“In self-defense,” Peter reminded him.

“Yeah, sure.” Juno’s hand was still resting on the handle of his knife, and Peter glanced down, noticing it.

“Do you still intend to kill me, little knight?” Peter asked quietly. “After I helped you? After I saved your life?” Juno’s fingers twitched and he swallowed. Did he? The monster was, well, a monster after all, good deeds or no. But to kill someone who saved you would be dishonorable in a way Juno couldn’t abide. He let his hand drop.

“No, I don’t. Not now, anyways. But if I hear about any more knights turning up with their throats slit around here, I will come back, and I won’t spare you a second time.” The fox stared at him for a long moment, his ears twitching.

“I’ll do my best to avoid it,” he finally replied. Juno nodded. They stood there for a moment, the silence stretching out uncomfortably. “Well,” Peter said, breaking the silence, “I suppose I should be off, then. Fare thee well, little knight.” He turned and started to run off, but he didn’t get more than a few strides before Juno called out to him.

“Wait!” Peter paused, turning back to look at him.

“Yes?” Juno froze. Why? Why had he done that?

“I... I would feel a lot more comfortable if you walked back to the edge of your territory with me. So I can keep an eye on you,” he hurriedly added. “Make sure you’re not gonna sneak up on me or something.” The slow grin that stretched across the monster’s face made Juno swallow hard.

“Why Juno, if you wanted to spend more time with me, all you had to do was ask,” Peter said as he sauntered back towards Juno. Juno took a step back.

“That’s not- no, I just, like I said, I just want to keep an eye on you. Better safe than sorry.” Peter’s grin didn’t waiver.

“Of course. Whatever you say, little knight.”

The walk back to the edge of the kitsune’s territory was fairly quiet, neither party speaking much. Though Juno wasn’t sure how he felt about the way the monster was walking so close to him, brushing against him occasionally and no doubt getting whatever that, that... that _really nice_ smell was all over his clothes.

“Well, here we are,” Peter said after a while of walking. It wasn’t the same spot Juno had entered the area, but he felt confident he could find his way back to the citadel. He turned to look at Peter who was smiling less theatrically now, though his eyes were still shining in a way that made Juno... nervous. Yeah, that was the feeling. He looked away.

“I uh... thanks. For helping me with that bugbear. And not trying to kill me.” Peter chuckled.

“I told you, Juno. I’m not a cold-blooded murderer. And it was my pleasure. Thank _you_ for helping _me_ with that bugbear. He’s had it out for me for years, now. I’ll sleep much easier now that I'm rid of him.” Juno’s eyes snapped back to Peter.

“Wait, did you drag me out there just because you wanted him dead?!”

“Oh no, Juno, of course not. I wasn’t lying when I told you he had hunted down knights and other humans for sport. Not worrying about him coming after _me_ anymore is just an added bonus. A win-win, if you will.” Juno huffed and adjusted his pack.

“Right, sure. Whatever. Just... stay out of trouble. I don’t want to have to come deal with you again.”

“Perish the thought,” Peter replied, his smile turning amused. “Safe travels, Juno. I do hope we meet again under more pleasant circumstances.” Juno snorted.

“I’m sure you do,” he muttered as he turned to walk away. After a few steps he paused and turned to look back behind him, but Peter was gone, disappeared back into the forest without a sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, it took me 9 MONTHS to post a second chapter. This is why I don't write multi-chapter fics. lol. Thanks to anyone who reads this. I'm gonna try really hard to get a third chapter up before the better part of a year passes again, but we'll see. Either way, I hope you liked this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize in advance for what will definitely be a very irregular update schedule. Hopefully it's enjoyable enough to make up for my inconsistency.


End file.
